Recent reviews by V8_Ninja

Cavern of Dreams understands the aesthetic of retro 3D platformers better than most throwback attempts. The slow platforming can have uncharacteristic moments of speed, blurry textures get stretched across massive triangles, and the large levels often have collectables / puzzle hints stashed in weird nooks. However, because of those surface-level imperfections this game is able to do something that none of its contemporaries can emulate: It feels like a dream. Exploring this game's various worlds gave me a sense of unease, due in large part to how often the low-fidelity art style is used for both charming characters and foreboding vignettes. The narrative presentation compliments that unease, with most of the individual stories beings suggested but never completely unraveled. All that stuff will definitely scare off players who cannot tolerate early 3D platformer trappings, but the end result is uniquely captivating.

As someone who never got into classic survival horror games, I do not know the differences between Resident Evil 3 Remake and the original. Even then, RE3R clearly comes off as a time-crunched remake of a more complete game. The moment-to-moment gameplay is satisfying, but that is mostly because of the mechanical polish that is borrowed from RE2R. The other aspects that made the previous remake incredible (the intricate level design, the replayability, and the omnipresent AI-powered threats) are all halfheartedly emulated. The focus this time around is on stretching the base mechanics of Resident Evil to encompass pure action and strict resource management. Admittedly the game achieves that goal, but that goal only highlights the missing ingredients. None of the content that is in the game is bad per se, but it does make the experience of playing RE3R come off as incredibly modern and supplementary. Did you like RE2R? Cool, here's another experience made with the same structure and components.

Momodora: Moonlit Farewell is an exercise in fundamentals. The series has always achieved the right balance of detailed pixel art, interesting playstyle modifiers, and tricky-but-fair platforming challenges. Moonlit Farewell nails those pillars while expanding its scope, creating a beautifully hefty game where each room requires a careful approach and each upgrade is worth investigating. The downside is that some of the more interesting experiments from past games (multiple playable characters, a darker tone, and free form Metroidvania exploration) take a back seat or are absent entirely. That is most definitely a shame, but an absence of experimentation doesn't detract from the finely-tuned throwback gameplay this entry offers.

Yellow Taxi Goes Vroom understands the spirit of N64 platformers. It's got complex player movement, an unconventional gameplay twist, and multilayered level design. What's more, it is very clear that the designers, the artists, and the musician loved working on this game. Every goofy animation, every stellar song, and every silly pun come together to create an intoxicating, pervasive passion. Yes, the controls are weird. Yes, the humor doesn't always hit. Yes, this game is not reinventing anything. But what's here is hundreds of platforming challenges wrapped in a truly joyful aesthetic. Yellow Taxi Goes Vroom is one of the best 3D platformers of all time and it reminded me of why I love video games.

Minishoot' Adventures has some good game design in it, from useful upgrades to interesting arenas to gratifying secrets. But what separates this game from any other top-down shmup is its presentation. The cute, cartoon-y aesthetic where spaceships gesture their way through an abridged, humor-tinged Legend of Zelda plot is appealing, but the the more important part is that this game is polished to a mirror shine. Every potential nuisance has been eliminated, making it very easy to get invested in finding the next upgrade or seeing the next gag or checking back on that one roadblock that isn't a bother anymore. This is one of the most frictionless games I have played, and that helps the everything else shine brighter.

Penny's Big Breakaway has a ton of elements that make it enjoyable. The movement system is complex while being decipherable, the art design is incredibly appealing, and the music perfectly captures the energy of a circus-themed adventure. At the same time, there are so many small things that get in the way of mastering the game's mechanics and feeling rewarded for that mastery. The game never gives you time to become familiar with all the Penny's actions, which results in many accidental deaths as the unfamiliar controls are compounded by hectic introductory levels that utilize ambitious camera cinematography. Once you do get a grip on the controls, the actions themselves aren't particularly punchy or satisfying to nail. The level design has great highlights (Bubblin my beloved~♥), but it's hampered by lackluster boss fights and inconsistent pacing of the worlds themselves. Despite all that, I know I'm gonna look back on this game with fond memories of how great all the good bits were. Penny's Big Breakaway is a worthy 3D platformer for the modern age and I hope that Evening Star continues to explore this genre, simply because the developers are a few iterative design passes away from making something extraordinary.

Resident Evil 2 Remake is what happens when millions of dollars are put into a project with a limited scope. Every room has little touches, every plot point has nuanced presentation, and every enemy is a Certified Problem©. The main campaigns (Leon/Claire A) have less than 100 enemies each, but they require the player to make decisions that are informed by their inventory, their objectives, and their knowledge of enemy behavior. That decision making only becomes more tense when an unstopped pursuer can be right around the corner or the next cutscene introduces a new boss. Sure, by the end a player will probably have the game systems figured out, but that's when the second campaign unlocks that has enough changes to keep experienced players on their toes. What unlocks after that second campaign is a handful of challenge modes which crank up the difficulty substantially. None of that content comes at the cost of technical artistry, which is just outstanding. Resident Evil 2 Remake is a premiere survival horror experience that caters to anyone with a slight interest in the genre, reinforcing why the Resident Evil franchise became as popular as it is.

10 Second Ninja X feels like a browser game with a handful of extra content and polish. It's a very short puzzle platformer with simple art and idiosyncratic humor that is incredibly easy to pick up and play. I don't know if that experience is worth your ten hard-earned American dollars in 2024. However, as a young millennial with distant memories of browser games, I found it all to be charming. It definitely helps that I forgot where I bought this game and what I paid for it.

Superliminal is Just Fine. The mechanics are novel if a little under-explored, the writing got me to smirk despite mostly falling flat, and the audio-visual artistry is pleasant if unmemorable. The narrative does reveal itself to be a little conceited, but it only shows up right at the end and isn't apparent upon replaying specific sections. There's a part of me that wishes Superliminal was stronger in any one of its foundations, if only to make the short playtime a little more impactful. That said, the game ends when it runs out of ideas. That's a rare treat, and it highlights a level of restraint that most development teams don't have.

Daniel Mullins Games is mostly known for horror-themed metafictional elements in its games, and that's a very strong component in this title as well. What sets Inscryption apart is that, on top of narrative shenanigans, the core card battling gameplay loop is pretty darn good. There aren't many deck archetypes (take your pick of midrange or aggro), but there are so many interesting mechanics and resources that can be bent in fun ways. That solid gameplay combined with metafiction framing and a hefty amount of polish leads to a truly intoxicating introduction. The back half of Inscryption is less stunning, but the strong metafictional twists help keep the gameplay fresh and the narrative intriguing. This is a very easy game to recommend to anyone interested in deckbuilders, horror, or truly novel experiences.